The present methods of opening shellfish are numerous. Most successful has been flash heating with steam or flame, which subjects shellfish momentarily to heat. Each shellfish has a critical temperature range within which the creature dies and releases its shell. More recently, combinations of steam and pressure have been used so that lower temperatures could possibly be used. Other methods include manual shucking, methods for fracturing the shell, and chemical solutions into which the shells are placed. All the above have inherent drawbacks too numerous and varied to comment on.